Nevada is getting a brand-new state park this month. It’s one every would-be Indiana Jones (or maybe more like the Ross Gellers among us) will love, and as a bonus, it’s within a quick driving distance to The Strip.
26.12.2023 - 16:21 / thepointsguy.com / Hudson River / Joe Biden
It's the question rail enthusiasts have posed for years: When might U.S. train travel start to more closely resemble that of Europe and Asia?
When you travel overseas, it becomes only natural to ask.
In recent visits to Europe, I've seen the ease of the continent's train travel firsthand. There's the convenience of traveling from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to the Tube via the Gatwick Express — a similar concept, itself, to the Heathrow Express that connects London travelers to Heathrow Airport (LHR).
You can take a 186 mph ride on a Renfe train in Spain.
There is likewise an astonishing array of rail itinerary options in Italy, such as a brisk, two-hour ride between Venice and Florence.
Yet, the past few years have brought travelers plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about rail travel in the U.S.
Frustration points range from the seemingly endless hurdles — not to mention billions of dollars lost — on California's long-planned 'bullet train' to operational challenges and financial losses at Amtrak, and worn-out, century-old bridges and tunnels (not to mention delays) along the critical Northeast Corridor.
However, these days, there are signs of an American train travel renaissance — one Rep. Donald Payne, Jr., D-N.J., likened to "the beginning of the interstate highway system" during a June congressional hearing.
"I really think we're on the cusp of a new era for passenger rail," Laura Mason, Amtrak's executive vice president for capital delivery, echoed in a recent interview with TPG.
"I think all the indicators are going in the right direction," Mason said.
The boost passenger rail has gotten from the White House in recent years is as profound as it is fitting. For decades, President Joe Biden was known for riding Amtrak to Washington, D.C., from his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law (passed by Congress and signed by the president) doled out $66 billion for rail — including a haul of money for Amtrak greater than every dollar the federally funded rail company had previously received in its half-century of existence.
In recent weeks, the effects the law will have on rail became clearer.
In early November, the White House announced more than $16 billion in grants aimed at transforming the Northeast Corridor — far and away Amtrak's busiest for rail, which runs between Washington and Boston via Philadelphia and New York. It hosts more than 2,200 trains and 800,000 passengers daily.
The grant money will support the construction of two new tunnels under the Hudson River, relieving congestion to and from New York's Penn Station.
A total of $4.7 billion will fund the construction of a new Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore — allowing trains to dramatically increase
Nevada is getting a brand-new state park this month. It’s one every would-be Indiana Jones (or maybe more like the Ross Gellers among us) will love, and as a bonus, it’s within a quick driving distance to The Strip.
Iceland's glaciers, black sand beaches, and the chance of catching the Northern Lights attract well over a million visitors a year. But it wasn't until November that I visited the tiny island nation for the first time, on a reporting trip.
The Blue Lagoon has once again re-opened to visitors in south Iceland following the volcano eruption that caused weeks of closures.
As the largest national park in England, and muse to the likes of Wordsworth and Swift (Taylor, not Jonathan), the Lake District needs no introduction. My friend Anthony, on the other hand, who has yet to appear on a postcard or be recognised by Unesco, almost certainly does.
Seattle skies were glowing with color as the Space Needle rang in 2024 with a brilliant light, drone, and pyrotechnic spectacular for the West Coast—and the world—to see. The T-Mobile New Year’s at the Needle extravaganza was the longest show in the event’s 32-year history, stunning viewers with an 18-minute display. More viewers were able to tune in than ever before with the event broadcast live for the first time in Portland and Spokane, in addition to Seattle.
Amtrak is making it easier to travel around the Big Apple from the bustling streets of New York City to the soaring peaks of the Adirondacks, the thundering roar of Niagara Falls, and beyond with a buy-one-get-one ticket sale.
New Base Strengthen’s Presence in Mountain West Region.
The Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) announce a partnership with Great Wolf Lodge, the largest family of indoor water park resorts in America.
More than 40 exhibiting companies with technological solutions for the transformation of tourist destinations.
Have you ever fantasized about quitting your job and moving to a place where it’s so affordable that you don’t need to work? Or perhaps you just want to move out of the U.S. to live out your dream life overseas.
The 2024 sporting calendar is out. The opportunities for luxury tourism are literally everywhere, with different events waiting to whisk you around the world and back, leaving lifelong memories along the way. Some events—Wimbledon and Formula 1 come to mind—have a history of providing luxury hospitality year after year. Others might not have the same long history, but their novelty is too precious to pass up. Olympic breakdancing in Paris? Check. Major League Baseball games in Seoul? Yes, that too.
In a move that showed both countries’ keenness to expand air travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, in turn reflecting an implicit eagerness to up mutually beneficial cooperation, China and the United States increased the number of direct regular passenger flights from 48 to 70 per week in the 2023-24 winter and spring seasons. This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. and the two countries have had extensive cooperation in many fields. Their cooperative efforts serve the common interests of both sides and contribute to the overall wellbeing of people worldwide.